DESCRIPTION:
L=9.25" (24cm). Back and rump barred black and white, otherwise
tan. White wing patches seen in flight. Male has red cap, female does
not.
CALL: Call is a quickly repeated "churr churr churr churr". Also,
Gila Woodpeckers may make a call that sounds like a rubber ducky. Both
Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers will
tap loudly on metal objects as a territorial "call".
NATURAL HISTORY: Although Gila Woodpeckers are one of the primary excavators
of cavities in saguaros (along
with Gilded Flickers), they also are one of the primary dispersers of
saguaro seeds (along with House Finches
and White-winged Doves). Saguaro cavities
excavated by Gila Woodpeckers usually do not cause serious damage to
the saguaro because they do not peck through the internal ribs of the
saguaro; however, flickers do peck through the ribs and may cause damage
(and occasionally death) to saguaros. Woodpecker cavities in saguaros,
in addition to being used by the woodpeckers to raise their young, are
used by many other animal species (e.g., other birds, bats, and arthropods)
for nesting/roosting.

As
mentioned earlier, Gila Woodpeckers feed on saguaro fruits, but their
diet is quite varied, including insects, other cactus fruits, and even
mistletoe berries. They even
frequent hummingbird feeders and will steal dog food.